Apparatus for making malt



(NovModel.) l 2 Sheets-Sheet Il D. D. WESOHLER.

APPARATUS POR MAKING MALT. No. 270,619. Patente (No Model.) I 2Sheets-Sheet 2 D. D. WESGHLER APPARATUS POR MAKING MALTx No. 270,619.Patented Jan.16,1883.

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STATES' Parieirrv APPARATUS FOR MAKING lVlALT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,619, dated January16, 1883.

Application filed March l, 188%.

1o all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL D. WESCHLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the countyof Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Making Malt; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, ref.

erence being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters or figuresof reference marked thereon.

My invention consists in providing a machine for makingmalt. By the useot' my machine all the stages of the process of making malt can becarried on without manual assistance.`

The'machine consists of two parts, one of which is for wetting andgrowing the grain and the other for drying it: These parts are arrangedin separate compartments, but are connected together, so as to operatejointly to produce the result aimed at.

In the operation of my machine there is no material change in theprocess of making malt, the change heilig wholly with relation to themanipulation ofthe grain during the process, which is eectcd wholly bymachinery, thereby saving not only the cost of labor, butinsuring themanipulation ot' the grain at the proper time.

The following general description will fully explain my invention.

My machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as follows:

Figure l represents a perspective view, showing the wetting and growingmachine on the lower iioor anda drying-machine upon the upper Hoor of amalting-house. Fig. 2 is a plan view, showing one of the compartmentsand the frame-work, shat'ting, rollers, Soc., of the mechanism. Fig. 3shows an alternative oonstruction of one of the features ofthe machine,as will be fully set out hereinafter. Fig. 4 is a detail ofconstruction, and will belexplained hereinafter.

The general features of my machine are as follows: The grain is taken asit comes from the steeping-vat, and is couched on the moving oor A'.Below this oor is a second movable iioor, A,which is arranged to receivethe grain from the iioor above. Other similar Aduck will be the bestmaterial. belts will pass over large propellingrollers,

(No model.)

` iioors may be arranged below the floor A', as

shown in Fig. 3, if desired. Enough grain is received and couched on theupper ioor to cover the loweriioor the proper thickness or` depth forthe first .stage of the liooring process. When the couch7ontheuppcrfloorhas stood the proper time the floors are set in motion,the upper one moving slow and the lower one much faster, so that as thegrain falls upon it from the door above it is spread in am uch thinnerlayer than it was on the upper floor. This fills the lower iioor andleaves the upper one empty. When it is time to again stir the grain thefloors are again set inl motion. This time the upper floor is made tomove the same as the lower. The grain passes from the lower floor into atrough,'B, and is carried by an elevator, C, to the upper floor, whereit is spread outevenly by the action of the machine.

When it again needs stirringitis again moved 4endless belts, and may bemade of apy desirable material; butv I think heavy canvas or The apronsor and throughout their length they will be supported on a series ofsupporting-rollers to prevent sagging. After the grain has beengerminated properly it is run off of the floors onto a conveyer, G,which carries it to the kiln or drying-department, where it fallsinto ahopper, I, and thence by an elevator, J, itis carried up and depositedon a moving Hoor, L, which istmade of wire-gauze or of perforated metal.Here it remains until it is necessary to stir it, when it is carried bythe door onto a similar one below, and soon until it is thoroughlydried.

The details of construction are as follows:

A A are the movable endlessfloors on which the grain is couched andfloored.

a a a a are the rollers over which the endless tloors pass and by whichthey are moved.

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a a a, &c., are series of small supportingrollers, which sustain theendless floors and keep them from sagging. v

L L are the kiln endless floors, which are mounted and propelled thesame as the floors A A.

p p are strips fastened across both the wire floors and the canvasfloors to keep them from contracting in width and from wrinkling up asthey run over the rollers a a. The rollers ay a are provided withadjustable journal-boxes a3, so as to provide for keeping the endlessioors in perfect tension. rIhe supportingrollers a a a are thoroughlysupported and sustained by girders a2 a2 a2, Src.

B is the trough into which the grain passes as it runs from the floorA', and the grain as it comes from the steeping-vat had better enter themachine at this point. This hopper or trough is made soit can be openedat the bottom, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to allow thegrain, when ready for the kiln, to pass onto the conveyer. v

C is the elevator which carries the grain from the trough B to the doorA. It is of common construction, being a series of buckets on an endlessbelt. 'lhe buckets are of the same width as the tloor A, and thereforespread the grain evenly on the oor.

I) is a perforated water-pipe so arranged as to sprinkle the grain whenit passes from one iioor to another if it needs more wetting.

E is a shaking frame, which stirs the grain as it falls from one tioorto the other.

F is an air-blower, and F is an air-nozzle, which extendsthe width ofthe floors and blows against the grain as it falls from one iioor to theother, and serves to thoroughly air the grain.

M is a brush, which revolves against the under side of the floor A, andbrushes off from it any grain which may stick to it.

G is an endless-belt eonveyer, which receives the grain when ready forthe kiln and carries it to the hopper Hin the drying-compartment; or thethroat of the hopper H may pass through the wall separating the twocompartments, and thus serve as the means of commu nicating betweenthem. The hopper H discharges into a trough, I, from which an elevatorcarries the grain to the hopper K over the floor L.

N is a flutter, which works in the grain as it passes from the floor Lto L', and serves to turn the grain over as it falls from L to L.

0 is a shute, which receives the grain when dried and carries it oi fromthe kiln.

In Fig. 2 is shown a plan of one of the compartments, showing thearrangement ot' the rollers, the girders, and other parts. The smallrollers a are all flush with the top of the girders, and -whenlongitudinal girders are used, as there shown, the small rollers arejournaled in them, being in sections, as shown. These rollers a servenot only as supports, but as friction-rollers to facilitate the movementof the floors. In this diagram Fig. 2 are shown wire ropes R, runningover the rollers a, or a sheave, r, incorporated into these roll ers. InFig. 4 the sheave and rope are also shown. The purpose ofthese ropesisto serve as carriers for the wire-gauze which is attached to them, asthe gauze would probably not have strength enough withoutthese ropes toserve the purpose designed.

In Fig. 2 is shown a shaft, s', from which th rollers are moved bygearing. One of these shafts is arranged by the side of each endlessiioor, and they are provided with cone-pulley s, by which means themovements ofthe lioors are timed.

It' desired, the wire ropes may be used in connection with the canvasfloors.

While I do not desire to be limited to the use of canvas in the materialot' which the floors are constructed, I still believe it to be the bestmaterial for the purpose. Although it may rotV ont in time, it willlasta good while, and is easily replaced. It will not oxidize,

' and the grain does not lie upon it in one place longenough to mildew.

In my machine the grain can lie thicker on the floors than ou ordinarydoors, because there is a free circulation ofair below the iioors, whichare thin, and the grain at the bottom will not heat. Besides this, thegrain can be turned and aired so quickly that there is not the necessityfor spreading it out so thin. Vhile the process of coaching will take aslong probably in my machine as in the old way, theprocess of flooringcan be carried on more rapidly, because the grain can b e kept at amoreeven temperature.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a. machine for making malt, thecombination, with the floors for holding the grain while germinating andthose for holding it while drying, of conveyor G, of hopper H, of troughI, and of elevator J.

2. In a machine for making malt, the combination, with the floors forworking the grain while gerlninating and those for holding it whiledrying, of elevator C, trough B, conveyer Gr, hopper H, trough I, andelevator J.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this25th day of February, 1882.

DANIEL I). VVESCHLER.

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